Health-Care Spending for the Marcus Welbys of Today

Ronald J. Glasser ["Marcus Welby? He's History," Outlook, May 31] suggests that today's doctors are more beholden to insurance companies because of greed. But Marcus Welby did not face a conflict between serving patients and earning an income. In 1960, 50 percent of personal health-care spending was paid for by patients out of pocket. Today, that figure is about 10 percent. We will never again see a patient-centered system as long as someone else is paying the bills.

ARNOLD KLING

Silver Spring